


The Last of Us

by AlexusOnFire



Category: Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (TV 2018), The Last of Us
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Character Death, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, F/F, Implied/Referenced Domestic Violence, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-25
Updated: 2020-07-08
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:06:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,219
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24873532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlexusOnFire/pseuds/AlexusOnFire
Summary: In 2018, the world is still overrun with Infected, humans whose brains and appearances have been mutated by the Cordyceps fungus. Zelda and Mary, after thrilling and dangerous adventures of their own, find themselves as neighbors in a remote survivor settlement in Wyoming. Amongst the threats of Infected, psychotic hunters, and painful pasts, will love find its way in a voilatile and unforgiving world?Chilling Adventures of Sabrina/ The Last of Us Part Two Crossover.
Relationships: Zelda Spellman/Original Mary Wardwell
Comments: 31
Kudos: 31





	1. Jackson, Wyoming

**Author's Note:**

> Everyone is mortal in this, I essentially just inserted CAOS characters into the Last of Us Part Two universe. Mary is her canon age, as are any LoU characters. Any "witch" characters are their implied mortal ages (yea that's right, Zelda is in her fifties and gonna kick some zombie ass, what of it?)
> 
> Anyways, I hope you enjoy, and please let me know what you think!

The sun was just beginning to set over the snow covered hills when Zelda rode into Jackson. It had been a longer patrol than usual, nearly two days with an overnight stay at a lookout, but they had been rather successful in acquiring more supplies and killing off a fair number of Infected. She was grateful to be heading home, the ache in her bones becoming more insistent as they day wore on. Her senses focused on the clop of Vinnie’s hooves, the wind whistling through the trees; the slight chill on her now cooled down body made her shiver, and she ignored a sarcastic remark from one of the boys behind her. She welcomed the sight of the gates to the Jackson settlement, eager to hunker down with a cigarette and some whiskey.

After handing Vinnie off to the stables and grabbing her bag (made rather heavy from all she had collected), she wandered down main street, taking in the sights and sounds of the other survivors. Jackson was a small abandoned town located next to a hydroelectric dam, founded by Tommy and Maria, a lovely husband and wife duo, and Maria’s father. Once they got the generators in the dam up and working, they and other survivors they had invited in had begun to fix up the houses, build supply stores, a pub, and even a tiny schoolhouse for the children. After a few years, it had become completely self-sufficient, something many survivors never thought they’d see again. The more survivors that came across the settlement, the bigger it grew; currently it was sitting at a population of nearly 100. Main street had always been Zelda’s favorite area, as it was built like the old western towns in movies she had loved as a child. After saying her hello’s to a few people and grabbing a fresh bottle of whiskey, she made her way towards the housing section.

“Shouldn’t have grabbed so many fucking books,” she grumbled, hoisting her bag further up her sore shoulder. Zelda wasn’t much for reading these days, and couldn’t care less about anything other than _useful_ supplies… but the books weren’t for her.

“Zelda! Welcome home!”

The cheery voice of Zelda’s neighbor, Mary Wardwell, greeted her over the sounds of children squabbling in some backyard. Zelda instantly felt lighter, her spirit lifting as her eyes met Mary’s warm smile. Mary was one of two school teachers in the settlement, right around Zelda’s age, and they’d lived next to each other since Mary had arrived in Jackson two years ago. A small pang hit Zelda’s chest as she recalled Mary slumped over on a horse, only half alive, pale, weak. Tommy had found her while out on patrol and rushed her back to Jackson, setting her up in the infirmary once she was cleared of not being at risk for infection. It had taken some time, but Mary made a full recovery and was placed in the small two storey home next to Zelda’s bungalow. Though Mary was shy, she had a sunny and quite friendly disposition that Zelda couldn’t help but be endeared to. They’d become fast friends, much to Zelda’s surprise.

“Hello Mary.”  
“Hello dear. You look like Hell. Do you need anything?”

Zelda laughed dryly, nodding her head as she made her way up Mary’s steps.

“No, I’m fine, but I brought you something,” she said, patting the bag on her back. Mary’s eyes lit up and she stepped back, beckoning for Zelda to come in.

“I have some tea on and a fire going, settle down in the living room if you like,” Mary offered, shutting the door behind them and making her way to the kitchen. Zelda stomped the snow off of her boots, checking to make sure she didn’t have any fresh blood on her before flopping on the couch. She let out a loud sigh, leaning back into the cushions as the warmth from the fire enveloped her. Her eyes closed involuntarily, and she very nearly fell asleep before she heard Mary shuffling back in.

“Oh, Zelds, if you’re tired…”  
“I’m alright, really. Thank you for the tea.”

Zelda took the cup and saucer from Mary, who sat almost thigh to thigh next to her. They took a few sips in silence, so used to being around each other words weren’t always necessary. Zelda placed the cup on the side table and reached into her bag, pulling out a few textbooks and paperbacks.

“Oh! You found more!” Mary exclaimed, a wide smile on her face as she took the books from Zelda.

“Thought the kids might enjoy some, um, World History. You know, from back when things were normal.” Zelda said, running her fingers through her tangled tresses. Mary laughed, casually flipping through one of them.

“I’m sure they’ll especially enjoy the homework that comes from it.”  
“We’re in the midst of a... _zombie apocalypse_ and you assign homework?”  
“The Infected aren’t going to stop their brains from developing Zelda.”  
“Actually…”

Mary held up her hand, signalling for Zelda to hold whatever gruesome thing she was about to say out loud. Zelda snickered, picking up her tea once more and finishing it, feeling the urge for the bottle of whiskey grow stronger by the minute.

“Thank you Zelda. You don’t have to bring me books if they’re too heavy, you know. I know you’ve got bigger priorities.”

“Too heavy? You calling me old?” Zelda shot Mary a mock glare, to which Mary burst out laughing.

“I think you forget I’m older than you are! I only mean I appreciate you doing it, but you don’t have to.”  
“Well, lucky for you and the children, I _want_ to.”

Mary smiled, setting the books beside her and turning to face Zelda once more.

“How was your patrol? That is, if you want to talk about it?” she asked. Zelda huffed, settling back down into the cushions before speaking, the rasp in her voice deeper than normal.

“It was longer than I would have liked. We made it to two different check stops, hit up a new town to the south. We managed a fair amount of supplies, Nick had to ride with Jesse on the way back so we could load up his horse.”  
“Oh I bet you loved that,” Mary teased, side-eying Zelda. Zelda laughed in response.

“I got my fair share of digs in. The Infected were a bitch this time around, more clickers than usual.”  
“I always get them mixed up. Which are which again?”  
“Runners are the newly infected humans, the weakest and easiest to kill. Stalkers are the second stage, sneaky bastards that prefer stealth attacks and have better eyesight. Clickers are the third stage, the blind ones.”  
“They make that clicking sound to sense out their victims right? Um, echolocation? Because they can’t see.”  
“Yup. Nasty ones they are, highly aggressive. The fungal growth around their head is hard as rock and they’re _strong_ , stronger than any human. Had to kill off six of them in one building. The basement was filled with spores as well, never a good sign.”  
“How on earth do you manage to kill the clickers if their brain is protected by growths?”  
“Well four of them were all fairly close together, so I just used a good old Molotov Cocktail and lit them up.”  
“Ah right. Fire. Your specialty.”  
“Mmm, I do miss my old flamethrower.”

Zelda chuckled at Mary’s eyes widening, and stretched out her legs.

“As long as we never encounter a bloater we’ll be alright.”  
“A what?”  
“Bloater. Those fuckers are straight from Hell. They probably take years to reach that stage. There’s nothing human about them, they’re fully covered in a hard fungal shell, though thankfully that seems to make them slower. They’re damn near impossible to kill. I’ve only ever come across one, before I settled in Jackson, and it took six of us to take it down.”

“Sounds terrifying,” Mary said quietly. Zelda looked over at Mary, who wore a somber expression. She knew Mary wasn’t fond of talking about the world outside Jackson, though she always hesitated to share exactly why. The most anyone had ever pulled out of her about her previous life was that she had run from one of the government Quarantine Zones and had gotten lost on her way to Jackson, hence Tommy finding her in the middle of nowhere. No one ever asked about the ring on her left finger. 

Zelda cleared her throat and sat up, deciding to leave Mary before she unintentionally depressed her further. She hated upsetting her.

“It’s late. I should shower up and get some rest, we’re doing another quick patrol tomorrow.”  
“So soon? They overwork you.”

“You should tell Tommy that,” Zelda said, standing and grabbing her bag. Mary followed her to the door, giving Zelda a quick hug before seeing her out.

“Thank you again for the books. I really do appreciate it.”

The soft smile on Mary’s face never failed to make Zelda’s breath catch in her throat, and it was becoming harder and harder to think of anything else _but_ Mary’s smiles lately, especially on the cold nights Zelda was away from Jackson. They bid each other goodnight, Zelda closing her front door behind her and digging out the bottle of whiskey, not even bothering to grab a glass as she popped the lid and took a swig. She didn’t like thinking about the past either.


	2. Dead Giveaway

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first time writing "action scenes" so I hope I did them justice! Enjoy!

Morning came quicker than Zelda would have liked. She groaned as she sat up, glaring at the three quarters empty bottle on her nightstand. 

_"I'm getting too old for that shit,"_ she thought to herself, rubbing her eyes. After a quick gather of some ammo and grabbing her jacket she stepped out into the frigid morning, her breath fanning out in clouds in front of her. She pulled her jacket closer around her, just about to head to the stables when she caught a shape out of the corner of her eye.

"Mary! What are you doing up so early?" Zelda asked, stepping towards the other woman. Mary still looked slightly disheveled, maybe even half asleep, her crimped hair a frizzled mess and pajama pants tucked hastily into her boots. A small yawn tore through her as she held out a brown paper bag to Zelda.

"Good morning to you too. I made you some muffins for the road. I know how you like to avoid eating for as long as possible, though I can't fathom why."

"Who needs to eat when a good cigarette will tide you over?" Zelda said with a smirk, Mary rolling her eyes in response. Zelda took the bag and peeked in.

"Blueberry?"  
"Your favorite."  
"You spoil me."

Mary merely shrugged and gave a sleepy smile. Ouf. That particular one would intrude Zelda's thoughts for days.

"Do you have your knife with you today?" Mary asked, eyeing up the pack on Zelda's shoulder.

"Yes, I put it in my bag after the last time you scolded me," Zelda said dryly. Mary shot her a look before continuing.

"And your gas mask, for the spores?"  
"Mmhmm. You a little worried for me Mary?" Zelda teased, poking Mary in the ribs. Mary giggled and grabbed Zelda's hand, pulling it away from her. She looked down at their intertwined fingers for a moment, biting her lower lip.

"I always worry about you Zelda," Mary said quietly. When she looked up Zelda's features had softened, and she felt her hand being squeezed.

"I'll be alright. It's the fungal bastards who should be worried."

"Always with the language," Mary huffed, shaking her head and laughing as she pulled back. Zelda chuckled, stuffing the muffins in her pack and gesturing towards Mary's house.

"Go back to bed. You need your rest for the children. I'll see you when I get back?"

Mary nodded and rubbed Zelda's arm before turning, shuffling sleepily up her steps. Zelda made sure the door was shut before making her way over to the stables, the snow crunching underneath her. She quickly saddled Vinnie, making sure the straps were tight enough before she lifted herself on him and guided him toward the main gates.

"Morning Zelda. You're looking worse for wear."

"Shut up Scratch." Zelda growled, glaring down the handsome young man atop a chestnut horse. His thick black hair and smug smile were normally the talk of the town (or rather, the women of the town), though Zelda herself couldn't see it. She found him far too cocky, like a bird with its chest constantly puffed out. 

"Zelda, Nick. Good to see you getting along as usual," came a deep voice from behind them. Another man, somewhere in his late twenties, approached them. Jesse was one of the head scouts in Jackson, often working alongside Tommy himself. He had more of a tall, dark, and handsome look, and much less of the "brooding" energy Nick exuded. He mounted his horse and stood between them, a grin on his face.

"Jesse, _please_ tell me you've switched up the roster finally," Zelda asked, scratching her forehead in an attempt to hide the wince from an oncoming headache. She really needed to drink less.

"Eh, we've gotta run Cottage Trail today and you two are the best scouts I have. You're both with me," Jesse said, shrugging an apology. They waited for the gates to slide open, the loud clank and creaking of chains doing nothing for the building pressure behind Zelda's eye. The cold air from their take off shook some of the weariness from Zelda, a welcome feeling.

As they rode towards the East she took a moment to admire the landscape around her; she had always found Jackson quite beautiful. Rolling snow-covered hills and evergreen trees as far as the eye could see was a far cry from her hometown in Massachusets. Her vision went blurry for a moment as she thought back to the sprawling woods of Greendale, of the large house with a built-in funeral home that had been in her family for centuries.

_Her family._ A sister. A young nephew. An even younger niece. All lost to the damn fungus, one by one. It had been nearly thirty years since Outbreak Day, over twenty since Hilda, Ambrose, and Sabrina had died. Zelda could still see their faces clear as day, the pain inside an open wound even after all this time. She took a deep breath, quickly shifting her focus to the sights and sounds around her. There had been talk of a rogue band of hunters (hostile survivors known for their brutal attacks) in the area, and that along with the unusual amount of clickers the other day had the team on high alert. She reached into her bag and pulled out a muffin, nearly moaning at the taste. She'd bet an entire limb that Mary was the best baker in town, and made a mental note to ask for a couple more muffins for her next patrol. Killing infected did make her quite hungry, and even though she would never admit it out loud, actual food sat better with her body than her usual cigarette. She polished off another muffin as they continued along the trail, seeing nothing exciting for nearly an hour before finally spotting some buildings on the horizon. 

"How long has it been since this one was run?" Nick asked, his mouth turning down as he plucked stray pine needles out of his hair. Zelda bit her lip to hold back a chuckle. What a pretty boy.

"A couple months I think. We've been mostly focused on the Towne Trail since that horde moved through last summer," Jesse replied, snapping a few branches in his way, "who would have thought the infected would learn to move in packs?"

"Is this going to be another overnight stay then?" Zelda asked.

"Why, you forget your sleep mask at home?" Nick taunted. Zelda scowled and used her axe to hit a branch above Nick's head, dumping a pile of snow onto him.

"What the _fuck_ Zelda?" he cried. Zelda barely registered his upset over her cackling; Jesse sighed.

"All right you two, focus."

Zelda smirked as she watched Nick brush himself off out of the corner of her eye, clicking her tongue to urge Vinnie forward at more of a trot. The sooner they finished this patrol the sooner she could get home to her couch and a good movie.

_And Mary._

"Hey, so what's the deal with you and Dina anyways? You guys still on the rocks?" Nick asked, still brushing himself clean. Jesse sighed as he ducked to avoid a low hanging branch.

"Eh, I dunno. I think we're okay but, maybe just a little stagnant? It happens in long term relationships. I'm sure we'll be fine," Jesse said, slowing down as they approached the abandoned cottages. Nick then looked over at Zelda, a playful expression in his eyes. She tensed.

"And you Zelds?"  
"And me what?"  
"You and Mary. How's that going?"

Zelda groaned, not quite sure she was up for Nick's ribbing today. It wasn't the first time he had brought up Mary and any possible affection Zelda might hold for her, and she was certain it wouldn't be the last.

"For the last time Scratch, we are _friends._ I know the concept is foreign to you but it is possible for two people to simply enjoy one another's company without shagging."

Nick scrunched his nose at Zelda's choice of word, about to retort with some sort of age joke when Jesse raised his arm.

"Did you hear that?"

They came to a halt, the horse's ears perking. From behind a boarded up window there came a distinct moaning, followed by some eerie clicking sounds.

"Shit. Looks like we've left this trail too long, Eugene cleared it out the last time he came through here."

Jesse hopped down from his horse, grabbing his pack and loading up his revolver. Nick and Zelda followed suit, the distinguishable cock of Zelda's shotgun breaking the silence.

"I still don't know why you'd rather a shotgun. They're too big," Nick said, sidling up to her.

"Aesthetics, Nicholas. They're also far more effective against the clickers than your measly handgun." Zelda replied, shouldering her pack and pocketing her shiv, "ready?"

The boys nodded and they slowly made their way to the front door; Nick pressed against it, grunting when he was met with some resistance. It creaked open, revealing a large, dusty room filled with old furniture and empty bookshelves. The three entered the room, weapons at the ready, quietly following the sounds of the infected into the kitchen. A runner was hunched in the corner, the moans and wails sounding as though they came from the very pit of its… well, perhaps soul wasn't the correct word… bowels?

Jesse nodded to them, the plan already clear. First, Nick would quietly ambush the runner, slitting its throat then shooting it in the head. The sound of the gun would alert the clicker, sending it in the direction of Nick. Zelda, coming from the left side, would use her shotgun to blow the protective fungal plates off of it's face, which would then make it vulnerable to a final shot in the head from Jesse.

If only things always went according to plan.

"For fuck's sake Scratch," Zelda muttered as he accidentally kicked a glass bottle, too distraced by attempting a funny impersonation of the infected to notice it. Both the runner and the clicker took off in Nick's direction, their awful squealing sounds echoing off the walls. Zelda quickly lined up and shot the clicker, throwing it off Nick's track so Jesse could run to his aid. Having only his shiv out and ready, the most Nick could do was try and stab the runner to save him some time. As Nick squabbled and Jesse waited for the right shot, Zelda moved to shoot the clicker once more, successfully killing it. She huffed, not very pleased about the waste of good bullets; they were already short on ammo as it was, and the shotgun had become an integral part of taking down clickers. 

She turned her attention to the other side of the room where Nick was still fighting with the runner. He managed to swing the shiv at its neck, catching it off balance long enough for him to move a safe distance away. Jesse pulled the trigger, the bullet hitting it directly between the eyes. Nick slumped to the floor, panting. The runners may not be the strongest of the infected but they still managed to put up a good fight when they wanted to. Zelda walked over to him and held her hand out, offering to help him up. He took it, somewhat sheepishly.

"Sorry guys. That was, uh, my bad."

Zelda nodded, quickly reloading the shotgun before taking a look around. Even though she thought Nick's head was too far up his own ass for anyone's good, she knew it was big for him to actually apologize when he screwed up. They glanced around the other rooms, then moved on to the other four cottages, relieved to find them empty of infected. In the last one Zelda nudged a bedroom door open and ran her fingers along the dust covered quilt. It was a pretty pink color, with embroidered vines and flowers. Hilda would have loved it.

"Alright, looks like a storm is rolling in. I think we've cleared most of the trail, let's head out," Jesse called from the sitting room. Zelda turned, a large black case in the corner of the room catching her eye.

A guitar.

She emerged from the cottage, Jesse and Nick already saddled and ready to go. Jesse eyed the instrument strapped to her back, a smile on his face.

"Hoping to seduce the Infected into not attacking us?"

"Shut up," Zelda chuckled, mounting Vinnie and turning him back towards Jackson.

"I think she's hoping to seduce Mary," Nick said with a sly grin. Zelda stayed silent, hoping it would dismay him from any further comments. Truth be told, she did have Mary in mind when she picked it up, but she also hadn't played in nearly ten years. She missed it. They rode most of the way in silence, almost back to Jackson when Jesse suddenly stopped.

"Hey, does that look like blood to you?" Jesse asked, peering through a patch of bushes. Zelda and Nick turned to where he was looking, her stomach clenching at the dark red stains on the snow.

"That's a little close for comfort," Zelda said, pulling out her revolver. They pushed the horses through the brush, following the bloody trail to a large shredded carcass. Zelda held a gag in her throat from the smell, grimacing at the sight.

"What in God's name is that?" Nick asked, covering his nose with his shirt.

"Looks like a moose," Zelda replied, hopping off Vinnie and kneeling down beside it. She inspected the guts strewn across the ground and the torn ligaments, then moved towards the head, the only intact part left. Her stomach clenched again when she noticed human shaped bite marks in the neck. Perhaps those muffins weren't such a good idea after all.

"He wasn't killed by another animal. I think the infected have expanded their palates," she said, a grim look on her face. This wasn't a good sign. There had been hope that if they protected enough survivors eventually the infected would die off, either from the fungus or from lack of sustenance. If they were going after animals now… well, the world was their oyster.

"We need to let Tommy and Maria know, and have another patrol sent out in the morning. Let's get back home," Jesse said. Zelda could tell both he and Nick were just as troubled as she was, and she felt a sense of dread bloom in her chest.

_Maybe I will finish that bottle after all._


	3. Flesh and Blood

Mary didn't answer Zelda's knock when she returned to Jackson, probably caught up at the schoolhouse with grading and whatnot. Despite the world around them having fallen to pieces, Mary always took the education of young people very seriously.

"You never know when things might start looking up, or what certain information in the hands of young scholars may achieve," she'd told Zelda one evening when she'd returned home late yet again.

It was just as well that she wasn't home, as Zelda needed some time to think about the day's events. Especially that damned moose. When she and the boys had informed Tommy of their discovery he'd looked just as troubled as they felt, his concern about the possible evolvement of the Infected evident in his expression.

"I guess we'll just have to be all the more diligent, maybe send out a few more patrols this week. Y'all might have to pull some double duty. I'll let the others know after supper."

Zelda had sighed, her headache from the morning threatening her skull once more as she made her way home. Upon discovering Mary's house to be empty, she decided to grab a sandwich and the nearly empty bottle of whiskey, bringing them out behind the house to her small fire pit. She shivered as she piled the chopped wood into the little stone circle, then grabbed some old newspaper and a lighter to get it going. It took a few tries and some blowing on her part, but the flames finally caught on to the rough bark, crackling into the slowly darkening sky. Zelda sat back in the creaky chair, watching the light fade from behind the mountains. She was so caught up in her thoughts she didn't hear the approaching footsteps behind her.

"I love the smell of campfire."

Zelda gave a small jolt, whipping around with a shocked look on her face.

"Jesus Christ, Mary! You scared the hell out of me!" she cried, placing her hand on her chest. Despite attempting to look apologetic, Mary couldn't help the giggles that escaped her.

"S-Sorry Zelds, you're always so on guard, I couldn't pass up such a good opportunity," Mary said, giggling some more as she sat in the empty chair beside Zelda. Zelda rolled her eyes, though a small smile played on the corners of her mouth. She quite liked whenever Mary's more playful side emerged; it reminded her of her nephew.

"How were the children today?" Zelda asked, taking a swig right from her bottle. Mary side-eyed the motion before tentatively reaching into her satchel and pulling out a small bottle of wine. Zelda offered to go get her a glass but was cut off mid-sentence by shock as Mary pulled out the cork and pressed the neck to her lips, mimicking Zelda's previous action.

"Mary!" Zelda exclaimed, an exaggerated look of appall on her face. Mary laughed, a full bellied one this time, and wiped a small droplet of wine from her bottom lip with her thumb.

"What? You think you're the only one that likes to _live dangerously_?" Mary teased, giggles still permeating the air. Zelda shook her head, laughing and feeling lighter than she had in days; Mary always managed to cheer her up without even trying.

"As for your question about the children, they were alright today. A little distracted for some reason, but nothing out of the ordinary. How was your day? You seem tired," Mary said, resting her chin on her hand, the bottle of wine still clasped in the other. Zelda hummed, looking back into the fire. She told Mary about the nearly failed attempt to off the Infected in the cottages, and about the moose, what it meant in terms of survivors. Mary sighed, her smile slowly disappearing as she absorbed the information. At one point she reached out and placed her hand on the inner crook of Zelda's elbow, squeezing lightly as Zelda detailed her worries.

"Sometimes it seems like things are just getting worse and worse. Like that small light of hope is starting to flicker too often to be trustworthy," Mary said sadly, looking down at the ground. Zelda slowly placed her hand over Mary's, running her fingers lightly across her knuckles. Zelda hated for the mood to take a downward spiral after they'd been laughing so joyously, so she squeezed Mary's hand and rose from her chair.

"I found something today, I think you'll like it. Don't move," Zelda said, turning towards her house. She took a quick look in her vanity mirror, pulling the elastic from her hair and finger brushing the wild curls down. Once she felt she looked mostly acceptable she grabbed the guitar from its case and headed back outside, hoping this was actually a good idea and not just potential embarrassment. Mary looked slightly confused when she spotted the instrument, but smiled nonetheless.

"A guitar? But I... I don't know how to play?" Mary said, watching as Zelda fiddled with the silver knobs at the top, tuning the strings in. After a few strokes Zelda looked up at Mary, a smirk planted firmly on her face.

"Well lucky for you I happen to be a regular Johnny Cash," she said, shifting a little so she faced Mary. She felt a small twinge of nerves poke at her ribs as she strummed the first few chords… it'd been so long since she played for anybody.

 _"Beside a singing mountain stream, where the willow grew…"_ Zelda began, her voice low and melodic. Mary felt a warmth wash over her at the unfamiliar but cheery tune, and soon she was tapping her foot to the beat while doing a little jig in her seat.

_”Where the silver leaf of maple, sparkled in the morning dew. I braided twigs of willows, made a string of buckeye beads…”_

Mary watched Zelda's fingers move across the neck of the guitar and found herself completely enraptured by the way the firelight danced across the gentle curve of Zelda's nose and the motion of her jaw. She wanted to reach out and caress them.

_"Mother Nature's quite a lady, but you're the one I need. Flesh and blood needs flesh and blood, and you're the one I need..."_

Mary felt her muscles relax and the tension leave her bones as Zelda’s voice enveloped her. She could certainly get used to Zelda serenading her.

_"I leaned against a bark of birch, and I breathed the honey dew, I saw a North-bound flock of geese, against a sky of baby blue…"_

Oh, how she loved when Zelda smiled…

 _"Mother Nature's quite a lady, but you're the one I need. Flesh and blood needs flesh and blood, and you're the one I need."_ Zelda finished, letting her voice fade with a few final strums. Mary clapped loudly, grinning widely as Zelda waved her away, brushing an errant curl behind her ear to hide her blush.

"Play me another?" Mary asked, her eyes wide with excitement. Zelda met her eager gaze and nodded, secretly thrilled Mary had enjoyed her song so much. They stayed up late into the night, drinking and laughing and singing, momentarily forgetting their troubles and getting lost in the euphoria of the music and each other’s company.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is just a wee chapter, but I do hope you enjoy it just as much!
> 
> Song is Flesh and Blood by Johnny Cash


End file.
